Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS), formerly Allahabad Agricultural Institute, is an autonomous state government university in Allahabad, India.[6][7][8]

It was established in 1910 by Dr. Sam Higginbottom as "Allahabad Agricultural Institute" to improve the economic status of the rural population. It became the first institute in India to offer a degree in Agricultural Engineering in 1942.[9][10]

In December 2016 the Uttar Pradesh State cabinet announced their decision to elevate the institution from the status of Deemed University to full-fledged State Government University by passing the SHUATS Act operational from 29-12-2016, thus renaming it to SHUATS.[11]

The academic infrastructure of the university is organized into seven faculties[16] — Agriculture, Engineering and Technology, Science, Theology, Business Studies, Humanities and Social Science, Health Sciences — which consist of 17 constituent schools, 55 academic departments and four advanced research centres with emphasis on scientific, agricultural, technological education and research.[1][17] Since its inception, the institute has produced many notable scientists, geneticists and agricultural engineers.[18]

While having completed its own hospital, Hayes Memorial Mission Hospital, the university is in the process of starting a medical college as per Medical Council of India (MCI) norms.[19]

In a public notice dated 24 April 2017 the University Grants Commission (UGC) debarred SHIATS, Allahabad from offering any programme through Open and Distance Learning mode for a period of four years i.e. from the academic session 2016-17 to 2019-20 and directed SHIATS not to admit any student in any of its Distance Education programmes during the debarred period.[26]

The institute was established by Dr. Sam Higginbottom, an English-born Presbyterian missionary in 1910 as a Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension of Ewing Christian College, Allahabad.[27] The institute was declared as a separate entity from the college in 1918. In 1932 it was formally affiliated with the University of Allahabad. About the same time the institute was recognized by the government for a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture. Another landmark came in 1942 when it became the pioneer institute to offer an Agricultural Engineering degree in India. In November 1947, the institute was brought under an independent "Board of Directors of the Allahabad Agricultural Institute" which was sponsored as an ecumenical body by a number of churches and missions. During this phase the institute was taken up by Arthur T. Mosher and he is largely credited with major expansion of infrastructure and the introduction of famous "Jamuna Par Punar yojna", the extension project of recruiting workers at the village level.[28]

The campus is in Naini, a satellite neighborhood of Allahabad on the banks of river Yamuna. The university is spread over an area of 900 acres lush-green campus, which includes 300 acres of research farms. The campus is divided into clusters of constituent schools and separate blocks for administration. The academic area chiefly comprises the main building, departmental annexes and auditoria. The university has 11 hostels on campus, six women's, three men's and two international hostels.[16]

Co-curricular activities such as sporting events, festivals, and cultural functions are organized throughout the year.[50][51][52] The academic societies and cultural clubs on the campus organize national and international competitions, symposiums, conferences and workshops.[53][54] Students can join the National Cadet Corps or enroll in National Service Scheme for overall personality development.[55][56]